The Merseyside derby 2000-2009: A decade of blood, sweat and tears

03 February 2010 00:00
AS we await the first Merseyside derby of the new decade, Evertonians will be hoping for a little more luck over their city neighbours than the previous 10 years.[LNB]* WHAT was your best derby memory of the decade? Log in below and have your say[LNB]Enjoyed by Reds. Endured by Blues. The noughties saw bragging rights pretty much confined to one side of the city.[LNB]Of the 20 Premier League games between the two clubs, Liverpool won 12 with Everton returning the favour just twice.[LNB]At least the FA Cup brought some cheer for the Blues last year. In the first meeting between the great Mersey rivals in the competition since the famous trilogy of 1991, Everton again had the last laugh.[LNB] April 00, EFC 0 LFC 0 - Sander Westerveld with ref Graham Poll after a late Everton goal is disallowed Oct 00, LFC 3 EFC 1 - Nick Barmby opens the scoring just months after crossing Stanley Park April 01, EFC 2, LFC 3 - Gary McAllister wheels away his sensational 44-yard freekick in stoppage time seals an epic Reds win Sept 01, EFC 1 LFC 3 - Steven Gerrard brings the Reds level with his first derby goal Feb 02, LFC 1 EFC 1 - Tomasz Radzinski puts Everton in front at Anfield before on-loan Nicolas Anelka equalised Dec 02, LFC 0 EFC 0 - A fractious 0-0 draw flares up near the end following an injudicious challenge by Steven Gerrard on Gary Naysmith April 03, EFC 1 LFC 2 - Danny Murphy's 25-yarder seals a Reds win after David Unsworth equalised Michael Owen's opener Aug 03, EFC 0 LFC 3 - Harry Kewell's first goal for Liverpool after a Michael Owen brace seals the Reds' 4th consecutive Goodison win Jan 04, LFC 0 EFC 0 - A brilliant late save by Nigel Martyn denies Jamie Carragher's deflected shot to earn a vital point for the Blues Dec 04, EFC 1 LFC 0 - Lee Carsley's winner sends Goodison wild and seals the Blues first derby win since September 1999 March 05, LFC 2, EFC 1 - Luis Garcia heads the Reds two goals in front after Steven Gerrard's opener to keep Liverpool on Everton's tail for a top 4 f... Dec 05, EFC 1 LFC 3 - Peter Crouch marks his first derby with a cooly-taken finish at the Gwladys Street end to set the Reds on the way to a comfortab... Mar 06, LFC 3 EFC 1 - Phil Neville's own goal just on half time sets up 10-man Liverpool for a memorable win after Steven Gerrard was sent off early o... Sept 06, EFC 3 LFC 0 - Andy Johnson's double after Tim Cahill's opener helps the Blues to their biggest league derby win in 42 years Feb 07, LFC 0 EFC 0 - Neither side can find a way through in a dour stalemate at a foggy Anfield Oct 07, EFC 1 LFC 2 - Two Dirk Kuyt penalties overturn Sami Hyypia's own goal opener after Tony Hibbert was dismissed for Everton Mar 08, LFC 1 EFC 0 - Fernando Torres marks his first Merseyside derby with a clinical early goal at the Kop end Sept 08, EFC 0 LFC 2 - Two more for Torres as his quick-fire brace early in the 2nd half wins the points for Liverpool Jan 09, LFC 1 EFC 1 - Tim Cahill's late equaliser denies title-chasing Liverpool a win after Steven Gerrard's opener Jan 09, LFC 1 EFC 1(FA Cup 4) - Tim Cahill & Joleon Lescott celebrate after combining to put the Blues in front at the Kop end Feb 09, EFC 1 LFC 0 aet (FA Cup 4R) - Dan Gosling's 119th minute winner seals his place in derby folklore and sets the Blues on the road to Wembley Nov 09, EFC 0 LFC 2 - Javier Mascherano's early deflected effort puts the Reds on route to a vital win just days after Champions League eliminationIt was never a classic match but Dan Gosling's extra-time winner in the fourth round replay gave the Blues a rare derby win and raised the roof at Goodison on a night that strangely brought the lowest gate of the period between the two sides.[LNB]Lifting the FA Cup after disposing of Liverpool on the way to Wembley might have gone some way to redressing the balance of playing second fiddle for so long.[LNB]Instead, Chelsea gatecrashed the party leaving Everton empty handed once more, but Gosling's late decider at the climax of another intriguing derby triple will at least be fondly remembered on one side of Stanley Park.[LNB]Reds goalkeeper Pepe Reina would prefer to forget but the same can't be said of Andy Johnson's double in a 3-0 win in 2006 that rubberstamped Everton's biggest league derby victory for 42 years.[LNB]Celebrations like that have been a rarity on the Blue side of Stanley Park however, with Liverpool dominating proceedings throughout the noughties.[LNB]Add to the above Lee Carsley's solitary strike in 2004 and that was it in terms of wins for the Toffees.[LNB]Rafa Benitez made the cardinal sin of resting some of his leg weary players, who had come through an energy sapping Champions League decider with Olympiakos a few days earlier.[LNB]Still, there can be no half measures in these affairs and the Reds were found wanting at Goodison, the venue of each of the Blues meagre return of just three wins.[LNB]Indeed, Everton are yet to win at Anfield since the turn of the 21st century. It is a statistic that won't be lost on David Moyes as he returns there this Saturday.

Source: Liverpool_Echo